Producing a solvent to be used in the artificial retting of bast fibrous stalks or plants.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARY H.,OOLAHAN, OFOHIOAGO, ILLINOIS.

PRODUCING: A SOLVENT TO BE USED IN THE ARTIFICIAL BETTING F BAST FIBROUS STALKS OR PLANTS.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 21, 1907. Serial No. 3593,978.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

To all whom it may-concern: I y 7 Be it known that I, MARY H. CoLAHAN, a citizenvof the United States, and resident of Chica 0, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, ave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Producing a Solvent to be Used in the Artificial Rettin of Bast Fibrous Stalks or Plants, of which t e following is a specification. 10 My invention consists of producin this fiber retting solvent fluid at very litt e exense, in concentrated form for convenience 1n handling the same by freight or otherwise and the invention has to do especially with v the production of the solvent, that it may be effective in its use of-decomposing and ren dering soluble to a certain extent, the glutinous and intracellular substances, which cause the bast fibers to adhere to each other and to the woody part of the stalk. This operation, which is commonly called retting'fl is one of the most important in the entire preparationof fibrous stalks, such as flax and hem as it influences th'e final rod'uct, as regar s its tensile strength, dura ility and color; it is also conducive to the se aration of the fibers from the 'stem,'and tl ie more perfect the retting is carried on, the better is the uniformity, fineness, a'nddivisibility of the fiber-bundles. The resent manner in general use of effecting t 's retting o eration, or partial degumming of the bast hers, is by exposure of the .same on the field, to the weathenandthis field retting is uncertain in its results, and liable to cause injury by overexposure, which damages the quality of the ber, causing it to be weak and imperfect, so that when the fiber is submitted to the mechanical processes of. braking and cleaning 40 in its preparation for the use of the spinner, there is a large ercentage of loss and waste, which cannot e controlled. The natural oily constituents of the fiber are also destroyed in the fieldretting, making it of'inferior s inning quality.

By t e use of my solvent, the time and conditions of retting are'under perfect control, and there is no waste of the fiber in the final reparation for spinning, as it has all its tensile; strength natural to. it, and the oily constituents have not been disturbed, making a uniform-perfect fiber, and being thoroughly degummed, it is capable of being re I duced and subdivided, to make as fine a filament as desired in spinning. The fiber, re-

taining its natural oils, is not affected by hydrosco ic conditions.

" The so vent used in my rocess above dedrawn from the bottom of the tank, known as acid oil. This liquid still retains part of the acid and other elements used in refining, together with a small proportion of the oil being treated, though nearly all have been reclaimed-therefrom. I take this waste liquid, and neutralize it with caustic soda,

radually using in proportions from one ourth to one half pound soda to a barrel of liquid, or more if needed, the soda causing the liquid to efiervesce and be agitated, thus forming a new. c'ompound that contains the necessary elements in concentrated form, that are effective in decomposing and solubilizing the gummy substances to a certain extent in the treatment of the fibrous stalks. This concentrated solvent can be shipped to points desired, thus saving a large expense in the matter offreight. At the time of using it as a fiber solvent, it is diluted withwater 'from'30 to 80 percent. according to the kind of fiber to be treated, and is again blended and united by the action of injected steam, and in which heated solvent the unbroken stalks, as cured after harvest, are immersed from ten to thirty minutes, and the quick action of the solvent upon the fibrous stalks is most efiicacious as it thorou hlydegums the fiber and separates it from t lie stalks, which are not water-soaked when taken from the solvent. This result facilitates the quick drying of the fiber, when it is ready for decortication and the final finishing. V Thisimproved solvent is adapted to all conditions of the bast fiber stalks, and can be applied without injury to the fiber, and

leaves it in a condition so that it can be fiber-, ized at' the time, or stored for any length of,

time, as the treated stalk is not afiected by the hydroscopic influences.

The energetic eflect of this improved solvent is of great advantage, as it quickly softens and decomposes the adhering gums, and can be regulated to meet the requirements and different conditions and kinds of, fiber'at,

the time of its application so as to produce a soft or hard fiber as desired, b means of the steam heat that may be varie as it is admitted into the 0 en tanks by pipes provided with valves, w 'ch control its action to increase or decrease the temlperature, and a consequent result in solub' izin the gums without injury to the fiber. its fibrous stalks, when dry, and subjected to decortication, will produce a soft silky fiber, thoroughly cleaned and freed from the gums and woody substances, suitable for fine threads, or, the coarser hard fibers, used for cordage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to procure by Letters Patent is;

1. In artificial retting of unbroken bast fibrous stalks, the subjecting of the same to the action of a solvent produced from the scenes acid slud "a discharge liquid, known as acid oil, combined with a small percent. of soda, thus forming a new com ound in concentrated form, for treating t e stalks substantially as shown and described.

2. In artificial retting of fibrous stalks, the subjecting of the same to the action of a solivent roduced from the acid sludge discharge lqui cent. of soda, combined with means for the injection of steam under control to regulate its action on the fiber in degumming and separatlng 1t from the woody part of the stalk, so that 1t is conditioned, when dry, for decortication to a perfect s innin fiber.

AFARY COLAHAN. Witnesses:

M. A. BEAN, R. C. STOLL.

known as acid oil, and a small per 

